The indigenous peoples of Sicily, long absorbed into the population, were tribes known to ancient Greek writers as the Elymians, the Sicani and the Siculi or Sicels (from whom the island derives its name). Of these, the last … See more

Germanic and Byzantine period
As the Roman Empire was falling apart, a tribe of Franks conquered Syracuse in 280 AD; subsequently a Germanic tribe known as the See more

Norman period (1091–1194)
The most significant changes that the Normans were to bring to Sicily were in the areas of religion, language and population. Almost … See more

With the union of the crowns of Castile and Aragon in 1479, Sicily was ruled directly by the kings of Spain via governors and viceroys. In the … See more

Greek period
Sicily began to be colonised by Greeks in the 8th century BC. Initially, this was restricted to the eastern and southern parts of the island. … See more

Angevins and the Sicilian Vespers
Throughout Frederick's reign, there had been substantial antagonism between the Kingdom and the … See more

British occupation
The Bourbon kings officially resided in Naples, except for a brief period during the Napoleonic Wars between … See more